Kayla's Commentary

Great Summer Read

2010-07-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

So I just finished reading "A Vintage Affair" by Isabel Wolff. While it's not the type of book I typically read (I like to read John Grisham, the women's murder club by James Patterson, etc.), I really enjoyed it. The main character owns a vintage clothing store, and the vintage clothes are tied to various sub-plots in the story. In the end, it's a very touching story about friendship, and I have to say, makes me want to visit a vintage clothing shop very soon!

If you're looking for a good book to read this summer, I would recommend it.

Family Update

2010-07-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

We are all doing well. Tyler switched schools last year, attending public school for 8th grade. He had a great year, and we've made the decision to move the girls into the public schools this year, too. Tyler will be a freshman next year, and is going to be running cross-country this year. He started training this week, and is off to a great start. Alyssa will be entering the 7th grade this year, and is looking forward to playing volleyball in the winter, and maybe cross-country this fall. Carleigh is entering the 4th grade this year, and is most looking forward to being able to wear fun clothes to school (no uniforms this year!).

We were able to spend 8 days at the lake this month - had a great time relaxing, fishing, tubing, etc. Looking forward to the family reunion at the end of August, and a few more days off before school starts again.

A New Kitchen

2009-02-25T19:53:00.001-08:00

Our kitchen has been torn up since just after Christmas. Finally, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The drywall has all been repaired, and work has been ongoing for the past week and a half. The painting is almost done. The painters suggested leaving the under-side o the soffet white, but we've decided we don't like it, so they will be coming back to finish that painting.

This week, they have been installing a new floor. We originally were going to have them install linoleum that looks like tile, but as it turns out, tile is cheaper than linoleum - who knew?? So, we decided on 18" travertine tiles. I wasn't sure about it at first - I tend to like consistency, and with a natural stone, it is anything but consistent. But...now that it is in, I think we are going to really like it.

They grouted the floor yesterday, and we have to wait until Friday for them to come back and put on the final sealer. Can't wait! Working on the floor means disconnecting the dishwasher and moving the refrigerator out. The fridge is currently on the back deck - probably not the best place considering we are supposed to get 2-4 inches of snow tomorrow night - ugh - just what we need...more snow!

Carleigh's First History Project

2009-02-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

At the kids' school, they study ancient Egypt in 2nd grade history. For their history program, each of the kids put together a presentation related to one of their weekly lessons. Carleigh's was "Egypt Falls to Rome". Along with her presentation board, she presented 5 facts about Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Octavius.

It is so much fun watching the kids learn and grow!

Carleigh Turns 8!

2009-02-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

We had a fun time on Carleigh's birthday. We had cake and ice cream at home, and opened presents - then we went to Red Robin for an early dinner.

Sleeping Beauties

2009-02-25T19:14:00.000-08:00

Just a fun pic of my baby...and our furry babies.

I'm Melting...

2009-01-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

...but not quite in the same way as the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz.

The weather has calmed down significantly, and the snow has been slowly melting for the last couple of weeks. Mind you, we still have a LOT of snow on the ground, but the roads are mostly clear, and it is melting slowly enough that we haven't had any flooding issues.

Nothing big to report regarding us. We are waiting for the insurance check before continuing with the repairs to the house. The kids are back in school, and we are all back to a normal routine.

I'm hoping to find time soon to get back to some of my knitting projects...depending on how it all goes, I might just post a few pictures here of my progress...

Sheriff Requested School Closure

2009-01-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

The kids have been out of school for 2 weeks (plus 2 snow days), and are scheduled to go back tomorrow. But, the county sheriff's office has requested that all schools stay closed tomorrow. The biggest reason is the fact that so many kids walk to school, and the vast majority of area sidewalks are not clear - and the snow berms are taller than the kids. So, it looks like all area schools are going to be closed tomorrow - and we are under another Winter Storm Watch from 10 tonight until 10 tomorrow morning, which is expected to bring another 4-7 inches.

The good news, if there is such a thing at this point, is that we are supposed to be warming up starting on Tuesday, and there is no more snow in the forecast for the rest of the week. Instead, we have rain and possible flooding in the forecast!

Here are a few pictures I took today of the house, and the kids playing:

This is the covered area of our back deck - and that is the door where we are experiencing the new leak. John found a large ice dam up on that part of the roof today, and was able to get it broken up and cleared off - and the leak does seem to have slowed down.

This is the roof over the kitchen (on the left), and over our bedroom (on the right - with the satellite dish).

Here is the covered area outside the back of the garage. And the large grey "box" is the motorhome.

Here's another shot taken from the back deck - looking toward the garage.

Believe it or not, this is our swimming pool.

The kids begged to go out and play on this last day of Christmas break, and as you can see, they had a great time.

Snow Angels~

I'll probably be in trouble for showing this next picture. John didn't want me to take it for fear it would look like he was enjoying the snow. So, I show this only with the disclaimer that it is not an accurate reflection of John's opinion of the snowfall! :)

Will It Ever End????

2009-01-03T22:46:00.000-08:00

We concluded 2008 with record snowfall of 61.5 inches within the last 2 weeks. And we have started 2009 with additional damage to the house as a result.

The insurance adjuster and the construction crew were both here today to review the work that needs to be done, and we all reached an agreement...so all is well, right? Sure...until this evening. Tyler, John and I were sitting in the dining room playing a mean game of "Sorry!", when we start hearing the ominous sound of..."drip"..."drip"..."drip"... We looked high and low, and couldn't find the source. Finally, we found it...behind the curtain, water was dripping from the trim around the door that leads to the covered portion of our back deck.

So, we called the insurance adjuster and the construction crew to let them know. We will be calling the insurance company tomorrow to add this to our claim. But wait, that's not all, after we pulled off the trim, placed a bucket, and shoved a towel into the crack to manage the water, I happened to pull back the curtain in the living room - in the front of the house, and what do I see?...A huge break in the glass in the front window!

It doesn't show up real well in the picture, but the inside pane is broken - starting at the lower left, and extending about 3.5 feet up the window, which is 5 feet tall.

I half expect to wake up in the morning to find the roof has caved in! And guess what...we are under another Winter Storm Watch - expecting somewhere between 4 and 12 inches Sunday night and Monday...are you kidding??? One piece of good news is that John found a place that is expecting a shipment of snowblowers, and we have our name on one...they should be here Friday. We've joked that as soon as we buy a snowblower it will quit snowing, but we've decided it would be money well spent if it happened that way!

I snapped a couple pictures of our neighbor this afternoon. Gives you another perspective of the snow we are dealing with.

Finally, on a sweeter note, Alyssa made brownies tonight. She got a fun cookbook for Christmas that came with 6 silicone cupcake cups, and all of the recipes use the cups - everything from scrambled eggs, to mini-lasagna, to desert - including brownies. She let Carleigh help stir, and they did a great job - the finished product was delicious!

As If The Snow Wasn't Enough!

2008-12-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

Oh the joys of home ownership!

Friday night, John woke me at 11 pm with news of a leak in our kitchen - water coming through the roof and into one of our kitchen cabinets.

John climbed up on the roof, and found the source of the leak, and was able to get it sealed the next morning.

Unfortunately, we started getting another leak - this time, water started leaking through the ceiling fan/light fixture above the kitchen table. We thought it might be water left over from the cabinet leak, so we placed buckets, and waited. However, this morning, Carleigh informed me that, "there's a big bubble in the ceiling". Water had pooled along a seam in the sheetrock in the ceiling just next to the ceiling fan. We poked a hole in the "bubble" to drain the water and keep it from spreading. You can see the "bubble" in the picture below - it was bigger, but shrank up quite a bit when the hole was poked.

Knowing that we were dealing with something much more serious, we called and started the claim process with our insurance company, and we were able to get ahold of a company that does these types of repairs, and they sent a three-man crew out this afternoon.

We now have a hole in the ceiling that is about 8 ft. x 8 ft. In addition, we have a large section out of the wall in a closet in our master bathroom, that opens into the attic above the kitchen area with the leak.

It sounds like it will be a pretty long process to get it fixed - they are going to do a temporary fix now, and come back in the spring to finish up the repairs on the roof. Also, we seem to have the same problem in the garage, so we may have a lot more repairs to be done as part of the same insurance claim.

Here are a few more pictures of the damage.

These next pictures were taken from the closet in our bathroom.

The black on the wood is mold...not a good thing!

Here you can see the "contamination zone" in the kitchen:

And...just to keep you up to date on the snowfall:

The snowplow came by this morning...after the garbage truck got stuck...

Here is the same tree of which I've posted other pictures. Just to give you some perspective, it is a 7ft. tree, and only about 3 feet of it is showing:

Here you can see the same tree in the yard. This is looking down our walkway from the front door.

This picture is also taken from the front step - looking to the left along the front of the house.

Santa Made It!!

2008-12-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

What an early morning! The girls were awake at 3am...but John managed to coax them back to bed. We agreed to let them wake us up at 6am - and they did!

As always, we started with the stockings...filled to the rim with candy, games, Starbucks gift cards, ...

The Wii was definitely a hit!

A few other highlights:

Carleigh's American Girl Doll - she has been named "Lisa"

New fishing reel for Tyler - he's thrilled!

Silly Alyssa! She loves frogs and turtles - this was a gift from Carleigh.

Now Alyssa can start cooking dinner for all of us...

Carleigh's babydoll from Santa - she has been named "Carrie" - after baby Carrie from Little House on the Prairie - her class has been reading "Little House in the Big Woods" at school.

Tyler is such a good babysitter!

Gifts from Auntie and Uncle - a puzzle and a beautiful edition of "The Gift of the Magi".

Hope you are all having a wonderful day - I'll try to post more pics later.

Christmas Eve Gathering

2008-12-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

Dave, Jen, Gabe, Alex, Luke, and Savanna joined us for some cookies, visiting, and a little bit of Rock Band on the XBox 360.

After some begging by Carleigh:

We let the kids each open 1 gift - a new ornament for the tree.

Carleigh's is a Precious Moments girl holding a string of bells.

Tyler's is a shiny blue ball with Jimmie Johnson's "48" on each side.

Alyssa's is a ball with some of New York's highlights. I picked it up at the gift shop at the Empire State Building in October - she was quite surprised - and had a hard time figuring out how I managed to get it and get it home without her seeing it. :)

Christmas Eve Buck

2008-12-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

We awoke in the morning to find a 4-point buck in our neighbor's back yard - bordering our back yard. He appeared to have an injured hind leg, so he was in no hurry to jump the fence to leave. He hung around for a good hour or so, before finally being scared away by the neighbor's dogs.

He was a large buck, which just goes to show how deep the snow is!

Still?!?!?!

2008-12-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is still snowing! OK, it hasn't been continuous - but it sure feels like it. We are getting hit pretty hard again today.

We did venture out of the house a bit - had to get out to finish our Christmas shopping - and to make sure the kids got a chance to see Santa.

So much for "global warming" - I say, bring it on!

Snow Day!

2008-12-18T07:17:00.001-08:00

WOW! You know, we thought last January's snow was bad...and we've been cautiously optimistic about this winter - we made it to mid-December with no real snow to speak of. But...so much for optimism - we are looking at possible record snowfall for a 24 hour period, and we have already beat the snowfall totals from last January!

The snow started yesterday morning, and it has not stopped yet. Here are a few pics that I have taken.

I took this from my office downtown yesterday - early afternoon. There was visibility of only about 4 blocks.

This next picture was taken last night. This is our old artificial Christmas Tree, which is currently standing tall in our front yard.

The snow continued all night - here is the same tree as of this morning:

At about 6:30 this morning, here is the pile on our back deck. In case you can't see the numbers, there was 18 inches - and it is still snowing!

Just for a little perspective, here the kids are standing just inside the door, with the pile on the deck showing behind them.

The kids' school is closed, as are all of the local public schools. City hall is closed, the hospital has canceled all elective surgeries scheduled for today, and the city transit system has had only a few bus routes open, and it sounds like they may be about to close those also. They are reporting on the news that there are surrounding areas with as much as 2 feet of snow.

John ventured in to work this morning, and he just called to let me know that he made it safely. The kids and I will be staying put!

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-06T14:57:00.001-08:00

Wow! 11 Years Old! (OK...not officially until later this week...but close enough to celebrate) Time sure does fly...

There was a definite theme amongst Alyssa's gifts - art, art, art...

A collection of supplies - acrylic paints and watercolors. And an artist's easel.

And now, for the fun part! What's this you ask? The landscape of a distant planet?

No, just the surface of the giant cookie Alyssa requested in place of a birthday cake...

And it must have been good...this plate is getting scraped clean!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2008-12-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving, we received a visit from some of our favorite people - Auntie, Uncle, and Cousin Leigh! As expected, Uncle and Mike (without a bike) became fast friends!

On Saturday, the kids put in some time decorating the tree. Be sure to note the white stuff on the ground outside! There wasn't a lot, and it didn't stay too long, but certainly added to the atmosphere while we put up the Christmas decorations.

As always, the kids did a great job with the tree!

A Thanksgiving For Which To Be Thankful

2008-12-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was a little different for us this year. My dad's knee surgery two weeks prior prevented my parents from joining us, but we were blessed with the presence of other friends and family members with whom we don't usually spend Thanksgiving.

The kids had a great time playing Rockband on the XBox 360...

...but our youngest just couldn't keep up with the big kids!

We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning playing Euchre - a new card game for John and I - we had a great time!

If You're Looking for a Book to Read...

2008-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

I recently read two books that I enjoyed and would recommend. They are very different, but both very touching in their own way.

The first, "Against Medical Advice" is by James Patterson. (It is currently only available in hardcover.) It is the true story of one family's experience raising a son with Tourette's Syndrome. In many ways, it is a very sad story, but Cory Friedman's determination to overcome the obstacles he was forced to deal with every day makes for a very moving, and in many ways motivating, tale. If you think you're going through a tough time in your life, this story may just help put things in perspective!

The second, "The Wednesday Letters" is by Jason F. Wright. It is the story of a relationship between a man and his wife, as discovered by their children, in letters the husband wrote to his wife - every Wednesday. The revelation of family secrets gives the story a "who-dun-it" quality that will keep you guessing to the very end, but all in all, it is just a very sweet story. A good read while curled up next to a fire on one of the cold winter evenings that will be upon us soon.

Lipoma...Be Gone!

2008-11-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

I had the bothersome lipoma removed from my back this morning - local anesthetic, no sedation - piece of cake! Other than the burning discomfort of the local, and being able to feel the tugging and pushing throughout the procedure, not a big deal.

I got to see it after they removed it, and it looked a lot like the one shown here (only lumpier - not so smooth):
http://askmyvet.net/info/showMain.asp?TopicID=1&SubTopic1ID=18&SubTopic2ID=1187&Page=3

(if you're squeamish, you might not want to look)

It was about 1.5-2 inches in diameter, and shapped kinda like a thick pancake - really weird. A lot of lipomas are found just under the skin, but this one was quite a bit deeper - right next to the muscle, according to the surgeon.

It hasn't been too long yet (I walked into the operating room just 2 hours ago), but so far, I feel great - I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I'm still numb...but I'm hopeful it won't be too bad.

One last note: the surgeon's staff was fabulous. Definitely the best group of medical professionals I've dealt with in a long time.

Medical Update

2008-11-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've had a mass in my back for the past few years, and the doctors are pretty sure it is a lipoma - which is nothing to be concerned about - just a benign fatty tumor. But...it has become more bothersome over the past several months, so I met today with a plastic surgeon (on the recommendation of the neurologist I saw last week), and I am going to have it removed Monday morning. They will biopsy it - just to make sure it isn't something more.

It sounds like a pretty simple procedure. They will just use a local anesthesia, with no sedation, it will only take about 30 minutes, and only requires about a 1 inch incision. Not a big deal, but I'll be glad to get it over with.

Halloween Happenings

2008-11-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

As I got ready to write this, I realized that I really dropped the ball when it came to taking pictures this Halloween.

We spent the evening across the street at our neighbors with a campfire on the driveway and stew for dinner in the garage. We did the same thing last year, and once again, we had a great time.

Here's the only picture I have of the kids - Alyssa was a skunk, Carleigh a witch, and Tyler used his Muppet and went as a ventriloquist. The important thing is, they each ended the evening with a lot of candy in their bag!

Our Last Day in New York

2008-11-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Wow...this trip went by fast! I can't wait for the opportunity to go back.

Here is a quick run-down of our last day in New York. First, we overslept - we wanted to go to the Today Show, but didn't wake up until 7:30. So, we quickly packed our bags and hopped on the train - made a transfer to the Subway, and speed-walked to Rockefeller Center. We arrived at about 9:20 am, and it worked out great. They had two more segments they were planning to do outside, and most of the crowd had already left.

After the first segment, Ann Curry came over, gave Alyssa a big hug, and talked with us for a while. She is so genuine and down-to-earth - just a really nice lady - it was fun to get to see her in person like that.

We also got a fun picture with Mr. Weather, himself, Al Roker.

After the Today Show, we made a stop at the NBC Experience Store - what a fun place! They had T-shirts, mugs, and all sorts of other memorabilia for all of the great NBC shows (ER, House, The Office, etc., etc.) - and, of course, the peacock (filled with M&M's!).

Next, we walked north to Central Park. In the photo below, you can see the small patch of green trees in the middle of street - that's the south end of Central Park.

We didn't have time to really explore Central Park the way we would have liked, so we opted for a horse-drawn carriage ride to give us a quick glimpse of some of the highlights.

Our final stop of the trip was the famous F.A.O. Schwartz Toy Store - what fun we had!

I bought myself a Limited Edition collectible Steiff teddy bear - I've always wanted a Steiff, and this one just "spoke" to me.

Just past the Steiff collection, we happened upon The Muppet Whatnot Workshop. "What is a Whatnot?" you ask. Well, they are all of the Muppet Extras - and now, at F.A.O. Schwartz, you can design your own! Well - I couldn't resist - having grown up with the Muppets, I thought it would be a great gift for the kids. So, Alyssa and I designed 3 Muppets, and brought them home!

From left to right, we have: "Mike (without a Bike)"; "Wendy" (that's what the "W" stands for - it's not a U of W cheerleader uniform!); and "Ann" (named after Ann Curry).

Well - that's about it. I have lot's more pictures - maybe I'll post a few more as I get them edited.

Even though our New York trip is done, I will continue to update the blog to keep you all posted on our family happenings. Soon to come...Halloween pics...check back soon.

Broadway Pictures

2008-11-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our night on Broadway:

NYPD - on horseback

The Amsterdam Theatre

Inside the theatre

The interior of the theatre is very ornate - the pictures really don't capture how beautiful it is. I was surprised at how small the theatre is, though - it's tall (two balconies), but it isn't very wide - just wide enough to accommodate a stage.

Mary Poppins on Broadway

2008-10-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

We were able to get tickets to Mary Poppins tonight - it was great!
We both really enjoyed it.

We are planning to get up early and go to the taping of the TODAY show
- maybe you'll see us...we figure we can sleep on the plane. :)

Doctor Appointment

2008-10-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we met with the neurologist today, and he had some answers.
Alyssa's pain will most likely improve with physical therapy/exercises
to modify her posture. It seems like such a simple answer, but Dr.
Mora explained it all well, and it makes sense. Her neck muscles are
currently under constant stress, and she needs to change that.

I have the same posture problem...but not quite as bad. I also have
some nerve impingement in my left elbow, which I will likely have
investigated further. Dr. Mora gave me the name of a test to have
done, and depending on the degree of impingement, I may need to have
surgery to correct the problem.

I also will be pursuing surgical removal of the lipoma in my back.
Dr. Mora indicated that lipomas are usually not a problem, but because
of the location and feel of mine, he suggested having it removed.

We did not meet with the neurosurgeon - Dr. Mora didn't see anything
that would require a surgical consultation.

So, we will have some follow up to do when we get home, but hopefully
we will both be doing better soon.

Since we completed our appointments earlier than planned, we are
headed back to the city for the rest of the day. Since it doesn't
look like we will be returning to NY anytime soon, we are going to
take advantage of the time we have.

Testing Complete

2008-10-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Alyssa and I both completed our testing today. We each did multiple X-Rays, a CT scan, and 4 MRIs - it took a long time, but it's done. Now we just have to wait until tomorrow to hopefully find out some answers.

There is a nasty storm moving through (lots of rain and wind - and it's cold). So, we decided to skip the big city and just hang out in our room for the rest of the day. It sounds like there will be rain again tomorrow, too (while we spend all day meeting with doctors), but it looks like it will be nice again on Thursday.

It's Soooo BIG!

2008-10-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have had quite a fun day in the big city!

It turns out that there is a train station about 1 block from our hotel that takes us into the heart of Manhattan - it makes it extremely easy to get around. So, this morning, we headed to the city on the train. We arrived at Penn Station, and made our way up from the underground to street level. You should have seen Alyssa's face when she saw the city - all she could say was, "It's so BIG!" We spent all day walking the city before taking the train back to our hotel. We could easily spend another week and still not do all we would like to.

Today we took in the following sites:

First, the Empire State Building - we took the "SkyRide", which is a virtual helicopter tour of city - Alyssa loved it - I nearly lost my breakfast! After the ride, we went up to the observation deck - what an amazing view - we took lots of pictures. While we were there, we had to wait about 20 minutes to get to the south side because the star of Wicked was there for a photo shoot...we snuck a few pics of our own.

Next, we headed north up Fifth Avenue - we saw Saks, the New York Library, and Rockefeller Center.

After that, we headed to Times Square - the highlight of which was definitely the M&M store - who knew such a little candy could have such a huge store - 3 floors! Alyssa had a blast!

Finally, we walked through the theatre district on our way back to Penn Station.

It sure doesn't sound like a lot when I write it out, but we spent hours on our feet, it took all day, and there is still so much we want to see - like, Central Park, Museum of Natural History, the Statue of Liberty, and if possible, a showing of The Lion King. Alyssa and I are both thinking we will definitely need to come back some day!

Tomorrow is our big day of tests - we start about 11, and we expect to be done by about 3. Not sure what we will do after that - maybe the Statue of Liberty, depending on what time we get done.

Fun Pics from Minneapolis

2008-10-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pictures from our layover in Minneapolis - the umbrella was a fun screen that when you walk by, your shadow "moves" the little umbrellas - very fun!

We're Here!

2008-10-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well, Alyssa and I have safely arrived at our hotel on Long Island...thank goodness for GPS units - it's the only way to get around in a rental car in an unfamiliar land! We had two uneventful (but FULL) flights - but it was snowing during our layover in Minneapolis - the first snow we've seen this year.

We ordered some yummy Italian food for dinner, and we are planning our Manhattan adventure for tomorrow - I'm sure we'll have lots of fun pictures to upload by tomorrow night. Be sure to check back.

It's Snowing!

2008-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Alyssa studying her spelling rules in Minneapolis.

Our New York Schedule

2008-10-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

I received a confirmation call from TCI today, confirming Alyssa and my appointments.

On Tuesday, we will have testing beginning at 11:00 am, and it is expected to take approximately 3 hours. So, it sounds like we might have a little bit of time for fun on Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, we have the following schedule:

9:00 - Alyssa appointment with nurse
10:00 - Kayla appointment with nurse
11:00 - Alyssa appointment with neurologist
LUNCH
1:00 - Kayla appointment with neurologist
2:00 - 4:00 - (nothing scheduled)
4:00 - Alyssa appointment with neurosurgeon
5:00 - Kayla appointment with neurosurgeon

Upcoming Trip to the Big Apple

2008-10-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

Alyssa and I are leaving this Sunday (10/26) for New York, to visit The Chiari Institute (http://www.thechirariinstitue.com/). If you are so inclined, please pray that the doctors will have some answers for us.

We arrive Sunday night, and we will have all day Monday to explore and experience New York. We hope to at least be able to take in the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Ground Zero, and Central Park. I'm sure we will not have nearly enough down-time to see all the things we would like to, but we'll cram in as much as we can!

If you have any suggestions for places to go, or just how to get around in New York, please send them our way...we could use all the help we can get!

On Tuesday, we are scheduled for a long list of imaging tests - multiple X-Rays, CT Scans, and MRIs. I'm not sure how long to expect all of that to take.

On Wednesday, we are scheduled for a series of appointments throughout the day. We are scheduled to meet with a nurse, a neurologist, and we end the day meeting with a neurosurgeon. Our hope is that by the end of the day on Wednesday, we will have some answers.

Thursday is another fun day for us. Our flight isn't scheduled to leave for home until Thursday evening, so we will do as much more sightseeing as we can.

I will have my computer with me, so I will post pictures and updates throughout the week. If you find yourself wondering how we are doing, just log on.